Z94.3 - Computer & Information Systems

RANDOM ACCESS. (1) (ANSI) An access mode in which specific logical records are obtained from, or placed into, a mass storage file in a nonsequential manner. (2) (ANSI) Pertaining to the organization and access method for a storage structure in which locations of records are determined by a randomizing or hashing algorithm applied to the values of their keys so that the random numbers thus generated serve as addresses of the records. (3) (ANSI) Deprecated term for direct access.

RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY (RAM). (ANSI) High speed read/write memory with an access time that is the same for all storage locations.

RASTER GRAPHICS. (ANSI/ISO) Computer graphics in which a display image is composed of an array of pixels arranged in rows and columns.

READ. (ANSI/ISO) To acquire or to interpret data from a storage device, from a data medium, or from another source.

READ-ONLY MEMORY (ROM). (ANSI/ISO) A memory in which data, under normal conditions, can only be read.

REAL TIME. (1) (ANSI/ISO) Pertaining to the processing of data by a computer in connection with another process outside the computer according to time requirements imposed by the outside process. This term is also used to describe systems operating conversational mode and processes that can be influenced by human intervention while they are in progress.

REAL-TIME. (1) (ANSI/ISO) A mode of operation of a data processing system when performing real-time jobs. Syn: real-time operation. (2) (ANSI/ISO) The manipulation of data that are required or generated by some process while the process is in operation. Usually the results are used to influence the process, and perhaps related processes, while it is occurring.

RECORD. (1) (ANSI/ISO) A group of related data elements treated as a unit. (2) (ANSI) A named and usually ordered collection of zero or more data items and data aggregates that represent the occurrence of a set of data values that describe the attributes of a particular entity. (3) (ANSI) In programming languages, an aggregate that consists of data objects, each of which may be uniquely referenced by its own identifier.

RECORD LAYOUT. (ANSI/ISO) The arrangement and structure of data or words in a record including the order and size of the components of the record.

RECORD LENGTH. (ANSI/ISO) Syn: record size.

RECORD SIZE. (ANSI/ISO) The number of characters or bytes in a record. Syn: record length.

REENTRY POINT. (ANSI/ISO) The address or the label of the instruction at which the computer program that called a subroutine is reentered from the subroutine.

REFRESH. (ANSI/ISO) The process of repeatedly producing a display image on a display surface so that the image remains visible.

REGISTER. (ANSI/ISO) A storage device that has a specified storage capacity.

RELATIVE ADDRESS. (ANSI/ISO) An address calculated as a displacement from a base address.

RELOCATABLE PROGRAM. (ANSI/ISO) A computer program that is suitable for dynamic relocation.

REMOTE JOB ENTRY (RJE). (ANSI/ISO) Submission of a job through an input unit that has access to a computer through a data link.

RESERVED WORD. (ANSI) In programming languages, a keyword whose definition is fixed by the programming language and which cannot be changed by the user. In Ada and COBOL all keywords are reserved words.

RESET. (1) (ANSI/ISO) To cause a counter to take the state corresponding to a specified initial number. (2) (ANSI/ISO) To put all or part of a data processing device back into a prescribed state.

RESIDENT. (ANSI/ISO) Pertaining to computer programs that remain on a particular storage device.

RESOURCE ALLOCATION. (ANSI/ISO) The assignment of the facilities of a computer system for the accomplishment of jobs, e.g., the assignment of main storage, input-output units, or files.

RESPONSE TIME. (ANSI/ISO) The elapsed time between the end of an inquiry or demand on a computer system and the beginning of the response, e.g., the length of time between an indication of the end of an inquiry and the display of the first character of the response at a user terminal.

RETURN. (ANSI) In programming languages, within a procedure, a language construct that designates a statement that ends the execution of the procedure.

REUSABLE PROGRAM. (ANSI/ISO) A computer program that may be loaded once and executed repeatedly, subject to the requirements that any instructions that are modified during its execution are returned to their initial states and that its external program parameters are preserved unchanged.

RJE. (See REMOTE JOB ENTRY.)

ROM. (See READ-ONLY MEMORY.)

ROUTINE. (1) (ANSI/ISO) A program, called by another program, that may have some general or frequent use.

RPG. (ANSI) Report Program Generator.

RUN. (1) (ANSI/ISO) A performance of one or more jobs. (2) (ANSI/ISO) A performance of one or more programs.